The Travel Better Project Team!

Emma Pethybridge

Founder and CEO

Emma grew up on the NW coast of Tasmania. She worked and travelled around the world for more than 10 years in Asia-Pacific, North America and the Middle East, before working with the Indigenous Land & Sea Corporation for 9 years.

In 2020, she founded Ethical Republic, which specialises in cultural and nature-based enterprises alongside protected areas, heritage sites and trail destinations. She started The Travel Better Project in 2022 to inspire and enable a positive impact approach to tourism.

Emma is a member of the Cradle Coast NRM Committee in Tasmania.

Naomi Ploos van Amstel

Research Officer

Naomi has a passion for bringing nature and communities together.

With an academic background in nature conservation policy, she has worked on several research projects globally, including with the Mabuwaya Foundation in the Philippines and the Turtle Survival Alliance in Madagascar. She’s been involved with the Griffith Centre for Coastal Management’s community engagement programs and occasionally delivers environmental education sessions with Ocean Connect on the Gold Coast.

A current PhD candidate, she aims to further understand how to improve collective management of protected areas.  

Naomi is a regular volunteer on citizen science projects with Ocean Connect to conduct surveys assessing sea slug and nudibranch populations in local waterways.